Colette Lafia is the author of the new book Leaving the Shore: Experiencing Poetry as Prayer. Her other books include The Divine Heart. She is also a spiritual director and retreat facilitator.
Q: What inspired you to write Leaving the Shore?
A: The impetus for this book began on a sleepless night, lying on my sofa, feeling frustrated that I was unable to sleep. Gradually, as the hours went by, I found my attention drawn inward. I could feel a gentle pulsing within me. It was soft and subtle, almost like something was being peeled open. It may sound crazy to say out loud, but I had the palpable sensation of God’s love surrounding and holding me.
I had recently begun attending an online poetry workshop, and during the next class, I started a poem that I hoped would capture the feelings and sensations I had felt as I had drifted away that night from my ego self and surrendered to the feeling of being wrapped in Divine Love. That poem became “Leaving the Shore.”
After that poem had taken shape, I began in earnest to pull together a collection of poetry that would center thematically on finding the holy in everyday moments. So, I wrote about my life, about my job as a school librarian, about my marriage, and about my spiritual life.
As in my other books, I also wanted a way to allow the reader to enter the material and engage with their own thoughts and spiritual yearnings, and so the idea arose of including short prayerful practices that could be explored after reading each poem. And that’s how the subtitle, Experiencing Poetry as Prayer, eventually took shape.
Q: How did you decide on the order in which the poems would appear in the collection?
A: That’s such an interesting question. One afternoon, with a print-out of the manuscript in hand, I cleared a large space in my living room and began placing each poem, one after the other, on the floor. Once they were all laid out, I started to order and re-order each piece.
I always knew I wanted the title poem, "Leaving the Shore," to be first, but from after that, I looked at other poems and thought about how they would flow together, thematically and in some sense, musically, too.
Q: How was the book’s title (also the title of one of the poems) chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: As mentioned, "Leaving the Shore" is the centerpiece of the collection because I think it does a nice job of describing something that is very hard to describe and expresses the ineffable. The other part of this is the subtitle, and the importance to me of offering a book that readers can engage with and return to.
I’ve had the gift of leading both in-person and online workshops that focus on the book and invite attendees to share their own responses and poetry. This has been one of the most gratifying aspects of having published the book.
Q: The writer Christine Valters Paintner said of the book, “This lovely book is
full of quiet spaces and tender moments where your soul can rest for a while
and be.” What do you think of that description?
A: I’m very grateful for Christine’s mention and for her insight.
In some ways, I agree that it is a quiet book. It’s a book that reflects on so many moments of everyday life and reminds us to stop and slow down, to look inward a bit more; and for those so inclined, to deepen our spiritual connection to the Divine, no matter what tradition we may come from.
There are poems about coming to a table that my husband and I have sat at for decades, about a cracked mug that I drank my morning tea from, about a bowl of soup that catches a child’s attention at school, and many other intimate moments of daily life that are worth our attention and reverence.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Well, I am still very much engaged with giving readings and delivering workshops around poetry and prayer and supporting the launch of my book.
But I will confess, I am already working on a new project: another nonfiction book about the spiritual life, which is about as much as I can say right now without giving the title away!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I have always felt the purpose of my life is to love. My journey has been one of growing in love and connecting more deeply to the Source of Love. I've devoted my writing and my spiritual teaching to this journey.
My work as a spiritual director, a retreat leader, and a writer invites people into seeing themselves as a manifestation of Divine Love, and I invite anyone interested in learning more to visit my website.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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